Oh my goodness!

I have been called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Baltic Mission!!!! (That consists of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia! I will be learning Russian and leave on February the 14th! Valentines day. Ha. I am so excited and shocked that it feels so surreal! I AM GOING ON A MISSION!!!!! :) Whopee!!!!

Assigned Friday. Any day now...

Smile Wrinkles...

As you can see... wrinkles appear in the later part of an 'adolescents' life.

Let the good times wrinkle.

WAITING!!!!!

Man... I am just in a blogging sort of mood I guess because I have been posting alot lately. No matter though. There is a certain excitement about helping clean a room filled with clutter. You never know what you are going to find. Not only that but the feeling of a clean room. That you cleaned for hours and hours. I was able to help my mother with some 'key clutter' rooms in our house and it was really really fun. My dad was shocked. Couldn't believe we did it. (If there is one thing you should know it is that my dad is a pack rat. My mom is too but not to the extent my father is.) :) It is nice to see my mom light up at a picture she saved out of an old calender because she couldn't bare to throw it out. Or the many picture frames she collects or cards that fill up at least a whole column in the storage closet. To see how she created a treasure box for the grandchildren and the many arts and crafts she has on hold for any of us to do. Its fun to go back in time and be able to look at my grandpas memories. The things he saved and cherished. To see how that was sort of passed down to my dad. To see how parents are so attached to projects their kids created that the kids would not even want to keep. Its like finding out little details about my parents I didn't really know before. My dad loves these english comics from back in the day. Or funny little drawings and pictures he has been storing since before I was born. Who would of thought..... helping to clean out some rooms in a house, I have been living in for more than half of my life, and am now just beginning to find the meaning in them.

"I've Got Better Plans"

They say-
Just commit for a year.
Just commit for 8 months.
Just commit for 6 months.
Just commit for 4 months.
Just commit for 3 months.

And all I have to say is - "No, no I am sorry. I cannot do that quite yet..."

Home again

Wow. What can I say. Conference, yet again, was amazing. The talks were sooooo good. On Saturday, as I was sitting in my dads seminars, I could not contain my eyes from swelling up with tears. I could not explain to the extent I wanted to, to the new hired help that was sitting there with me. It was an interesting time for me. This new guy found out I was LDS and from that moment on would non chalantly ask me questions about the church. "Oh course I would never go to your church but..." or "Why do I go to church", "Why do I pay tithing", etc.... Sparks of interest were there even if he said they weren't. Its good to learn of all religions in general. As I put on my head phones for morning session on sat. in the back of the room, with a pen handy, he came, sat down, plugged in his head phones and listened. He listened to bits and pieces throughout the whole two sessions. I thought that was awesome. He was very real in the fact that he didn't feel like I was trying to 'convert' him or anything. He just was interested in why I was so into 'Being LDS'. I am proud to be who I am. I don't mean that to sound boastful but I am sooooo glad to be apart of something I know for myself to be true and that makes me happy. I am grateful for such a wonderful Prophet we have. I can not emphasize enough how marvelous and refreshing it was to hear these men of God speak to me. It only reiterates the callings in which we all have. To be who we are. To be real and upfront. To strive and push forward. To take in the moments that make life soooooo wonderful. The leafs are changing and full of color. The sky is blue and the day was warm. Thankful I am. Thankful I am. I only hope that I can be better.